New food processing technologies are needed to create safe, high-quality food products that are still considered "fresh" by consumers. Despite the numerous benefits attributed to 'food processing', consumers continue to perceive the term negatively. Consumer acceptance of foods processed with different technologies generally increases when factual information is provided to the consumer. Educators working within Cooperative Extension are a resource for public dissemination of food information. By working directly in the community, Extension educators often cultivate positive relationships with local clientele. Therefore, Extension educators can dispel myths related to food processing technologies and deliver science-supported information to the general public. Consumer knowledge, perceptions, and purchasing intentions associated with both conventional and emerging food processing technologies were assessed through a nationwide telephone survey administered by Virginia Tech's Center for Survey Research Center. A similar version of the telephone survey was disseminated in an online format to Virginia Extension agents. An additional section of the online survey served as a needs assessment for educational materials related to food processing technologies. A grounded theory methodology was used for qualitative coding in both surveys. Approximately 67% of consumers expressed concerns towards the term "processed foods." The majority of Extension agents (67.4%) expressed concerns about foods that had been processed, citing additional ingredients, preservatives, and additives; safety; and health implications. Both the consumer and Extension agent groups were more likely to be supportive of light-exposed foods to enhance food safety and quality, in comparison to gas-exposed foods. Although agents may be familiar with some food processing technologies, they may not have the resources to understand the scientific mechanisms for which a technology is able to increase food safety. Consumer education regarding emerging technologies is necessary to anticipate potential consumer concerns; however, agents still lack resources and information about existing and frequently used food processing technologies. Educational interventions are needed to provide information to consumers and increase their acceptance of new and currently used processing technologies so that the food industry can effectively target emerging issues related to food. / Doctor of Philosophy

<p>The aim was to study consumer attitudes to and perceptions of organic and genetically modified (GM) foods and factors influencing the purchase/non purchase of these two types of foods. Data were collected by two questionnaire surveys (random nation-wide samples of 2000 consumers, response rate 58% and 39% respectively) and one interview study (n=40).</p><p>A majority of the consumers had positive attitudes towards purchasing organic foods but few reported purchasing organic foods regularly. The most common beliefs about organic foods were that they are more expensive and healthier. Choice of organic foods was related to the perceived consequences for human health and to environmentally friendly behaviour. Perceived positive health consequences appeared to be a stronger motive for purchasing organic foods than were environmental benefits.</p><p>Attitudes towards genetic engineering (GE) appear to be dependent on the application area. Medical applications were generally more easily accepted than were food and agricultural applications. However, all medical applications were not equally accepted. Consumers had generally rather negative attitudes towards GM foods, which were perceived as not being healthy. GM of animals for food production was perceived more negative than GM of plants. Tangible benefits of GM foods, like being better for the environment or healthier, seemed to have a potential to increase willingness to buy.</p><p>The results indicate that the attitudes to organic and GM foods differ: the attitude to organic foods is positive while the attitude to GM foods is more negative. Further, the perceptions of organic and GM foods are opposed in relation to health. The purchase of organic foods and the potential willingness to purchase GM foods appear to be related to positive consequences for health and the environment.</p>

The aim was to study consumer attitudes to and perceptions of organic and genetically modified (GM) foods and factors influencing the purchase/non purchase of these two types of foods. Data were collected by two questionnaire surveys (random nation-wide samples of 2000 consumers, response rate 58% and 39% respectively) and one interview study (n=40). A majority of the consumers had positive attitudes towards purchasing organic foods but few reported purchasing organic foods regularly. The most common beliefs about organic foods were that they are more expensive and healthier. Choice of organic foods was related to the perceived consequences for human health and to environmentally friendly behaviour. Perceived positive health consequences appeared to be a stronger motive for purchasing organic foods than were environmental benefits. Attitudes towards genetic engineering (GE) appear to be dependent on the application area. Medical applications were generally more easily accepted than were food and agricultural applications. However, all medical applications were not equally accepted. Consumers had generally rather negative attitudes towards GM foods, which were perceived as not being healthy. GM of animals for food production was perceived more negative than GM of plants. Tangible benefits of GM foods, like being better for the environment or healthier, seemed to have a potential to increase willingness to buy. The results indicate that the attitudes to organic and GM foods differ: the attitude to organic foods is positive while the attitude to GM foods is more negative. Further, the perceptions of organic and GM foods are opposed in relation to health. The purchase of organic foods and the potential willingness to purchase GM foods appear to be related to positive consequences for health and the environment.

Researchers and companies are paying increasing attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs and the reaction to them by consumers. Despite such corporate efforts and an expanding literature exploring consumers' response to CSR, it remains unclear how consumers perceive CSR and which "Gestalt" consumers have in mind when considering CSR. Academics and managers lack a tool for measuring consumers' perceptions of CSR (CPCSR). This research explores CPCSR and develops a measurement model. Based on qualitative data from interviews with managers and consumers, the authors develop a conceptualization of CPCSR. Subsequently, model testing and validating occurs on three large quantitative data sets. The conceptualization and the measurement scale can assist companies to assess CPCSR relative to their performance. They also enable managers in identifying shortcomings in CSR engagement and/or communication. Finally, the paper discusses implications for marketing practice and future research.

Customer service has recently become an important subject with significant consequences for academic institutions. However, there is a lack of research in this area and relevant, scientifically justifiable studies should assist in determining what is required for the provision of good quality service to students. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference between the expectations of service and the perceptions of actual service provided by the Human Resources Department at the University of Pretoria. The respondent group included students from a variety of disciplines who chose Industrial and Organisational Psychology as subject. Based on the survey method a questionnaire was used to gather the relevant information. The literature study identified five important dimensions of customer service namely tangibles, reliability, responsibility, security and empathy. The expectations and perceptions of the students (n=255) of actual service in terms of the above dimensions were determined and weighed against each other. The results of this study showed that although there is room for improvement, the level of customer service provided by the department was proven to be satisfactory. The following conclusions were made regarding the perceptions of the research group in terms of current and expected levels of service. Aspects that appeared to be most satisfactory, were appearance of employees, reliability of lecturers, safety of interaction, time spent with students and keeping of accurate records. There is room for improvement in the following areas: spending time with individuals, current working and consulting hours, efficiency of available facilities and attention given to students' needs. Field of study, age, language, residence, academic and historical year did not have any effect worth mentioning on the perceptions of current levels of service. Biographical variables did have an impact on the expectations of levels of service. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

As technology continues to rapidly develop, the realization of Virtual Reality (VR) stores is coming into view for various businesses and industries. As customers today are becoming more aware of their purchasing behaviour and the impact their products have on the environment, it puts pressure on the fashion industry to meet these requirements and needs by developing or adopting new technologies to their practices. In order to try to reduce the sustainability impact of the fashion industry the creation of VR fashion stores may play a role in reducing the need for physical stores, pre-production of clothes, and reducing transportation to reduce the environmental impact. The purpose of this study is to fill the knowledge gap regarding consumers' perceptions of using VR for personal fashion shopping, as well as to explore how consumers perceive the sustainability aspect of VR when considering it as a means to shop for fashion. A theoretical framework regarding this was developed based primarily on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted and then thematically analysed to develop codes and themes related to the research questions. The findings suggest that there is great acceptance of and interest in VR fashion shopping among participants. Participants expected it to become a reality in the future and to become an alternative way of shopping in society. Regarding the perception of the sustainability aspect that VR fashion shopping brings, the study participants noted that they embrace and approve it. However, cost and technological advancements and experiences are of primary importance to them. Future research should focus on conducting wider research regarding VR fashion shopping, as there was an apparent indication that it was accepted by all and something people would choose to use if the technology and opportunity were available.

The United Nations established Sustainable Development Goal 6, universal access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation service, as a global goal for 2030. In rural areas, access lags significantly and progress is rarely examined concurrently between developed and developing nations. Therefore, this dissertation focuses on rural water system challenges in a developed nation, the US, and a developing nation, Guatemala. In the US, approximately 250 million Americans receive drinking water from community water systems (CWSs), theoretically safeguarded by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). There is mounting evidence that racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities persist in US drinking water access and quality, but studies are limited by the exclusion of very small CWSs and a large geographic unit of analysis. A novel geospatial methodology was created to delineate system service areas at the zip code scale in Virginia and assess the influence of demographic characteristics on compliance with the SDWA from 2006 to 2016. Results reveal that monitoring and reporting violations are concentrated in private, rural systems that serve fewer than 500 people, while health-based violations were more likely in non-white communities, specifically those with higher proportions of Black, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islanders. This study was completed in parallel with a household sampling campaign in rural San Rafael Las Flores, Guatemala. In Guatemala, no public access to water system compliance or quality information currently exists. With growing investment in mining industries and recognized naturally occurring arsenic in volcanic geology, citizens are eager for drinking water information. Survey results highlighted dissatisfaction with and distrust in most tap water sources. Consequently, residents regularly buy bottled water or collect water from untreated natural springs. Water quality results indicated that tap water from the central drinking water treatment plant contained higher levels of arsenic and other contaminants, when compared to most other sources. Though the settings are quite different, parallel investigation of rural drinking water system challenges in the US and Guatemala reveal common challenges and lessons. Moving forward, all nations would benefit from standard monitoring of drinking water access, quality, and compliance that allowed for intersectional investigations of environmental health inequities. / Doctor of Philosophy / In 2015, the United Nations established Sustainable Development Goal 6 which establishes safely managed drinking water and sanitation service for all as a global goal. Access to safe drinking water lags significantly in rural areas and can be complicated by intersecting social determinants of health (e.g. race, wealth). Rarely is progress in developed and developing nations examined concurrently, hindering an understanding of commonalities and an exchange of lessons. To this end, my dissertation focuses on rural water system challenges in a developed nation, the United States, and a developing nation, Guatemala. In the US, more than 250 million Americans receive in-home drinking water from one of 53,000 community water systems, with quality theoretically protected by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Recent failures, such as the lead crisis in Flint, MI, have cast doubt on the equity and reliability of these utilities, especially in underserved areas. How can we ensure that all US communities receive equal protections under the Safe Drinking Water Act? Using publicly available data and geography, this work estimated service areas to determine whether SDWA violations related to surrounding community socio-demographics and/or system design. Results reveal that monitoring and reporting violations are significantly concentrated in private, rural systems that serve fewer than 500 people, while health-based violations were more likely in non-white communities, specifically those with higher proportions of Black, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islanders. These findings illustrate potential issues of environmental justice within VA and advocate for future research to investigate potential structural causes. This work was completed in tandem with a household sampling campaign in rural San Rafael Las Flores, Guatemala. In Guatemala, there is currently no public access to water system compliance or quality information. With recognized naturally occurring carcinogenic elements in Guatemala's volcanic geology, such as arsenic, and heightened investment in extractive industries such as mining, that can compromise source water quality, citizens are eager for drinking water quality data. Survey results documented widespread dissatisfaction with and distrust in tap water quality. As a consequence, residents regularly buy bottled water or collect water from natural springs. Water quality results showed that tap water sourced from the central drinking water treatment plant contained significantly higher levels of arsenic and other contaminants when compared to most other tap sources. Community participation in long-term water monitoring and infrastructure decisions may help build trust in water sources. Though the regulatory, economic, and cultural settings are quite different, parallel investigation of rural drinking water system challenges in the US and Guatemala reveal common challenges and lessons. Moving forward, high, middle, and low-income nations all benefit from standard monitoring of drinking water access, quality, and compliance that allows for intersectional investigations of environmental health inequities.

Depuis longtemps, praticiens et chercheurs en marketing reconnaissent la pertinence d’un transfert de traits de personnalité humaine aux marques. Ce transfert permet de renforcer le capital de la marque ainsi que la relation que le consommateur entretient avec celle-ci. Ainsi, posséder une personnalité claire, distinctive, désirable et durable est devenu en enjeu majeur pour les responsables de marques.Or, au regard de la littérature, il semblerait qu’une marque positionnée de manière identique dans différents pays peut malgré tout avoir différentes personnalités. Peu d’études se sont intéressées aux raisons pour lesquelles ces différences de perceptions peuvent exister. Pourtant, cette question est fondamentale dans un contexte où les marques plébiscitent l’internationalisation et la globalisation qui suppose que l’essentiel des associations d’une marque transcende les frontières géographiques et culturelles.Les recherches en psychologie de la personnalité reconnaissent une dimension culturelle dans la formation de la personnalité humaine. Toutefois, en marketing, malgré l’importance reconnue de la culture dans le développement du capital d’une marque, les chercheurs se sont peu intéressés au rôle de la culture dans le processus de création de la personnalité d’une marque. Notre recherche se propose donc de répondre aux questions suivantes : pourquoi la perception de la personnalité d’une marque varie-t-elle d’un pays à un autre ? Est-il possible d’expliquer les différences d’appréciation de la personnalité par des différences culturelles entre les pays ?Pour y répondre, nous avons mené une étude quantitative auprès d’un échantillon de 750 personnes dans trois contextes culturels différents (France, Gabon et Sénégal).Les résultats montrent que les perceptions de la personnalité d’une marque dans différents pays diffèrent et peuvent aussi s’expliquer par les différences culturelles. De plus, certaines dimensions culturelles participent plus que d’autres au développement de certaines dimensions de la personnalité de la marque. / The attribution of human personality traits to brands is well-known by both marketing practitioners and researchers. This phenomenon serves to strengthen brand equity and customer-brand relationships. Thus, the development of a clear, distinctive, desirable and durable personality for their brands has become a major issue for managers.A number of studies have shown that the same brand may be perceived differently across cultures despite identical positioning. Unfortunately, researchers have paid scant attention to the sources of those perception differences. Yet, this issue is very important as companies are engaging in a greater internationalization and globalization of their brands, which implies that the core of brand associations has to transcend geographical and cultural borders.A large number of studies in the area of personality psychology admits that human personality is largely shaped by culture. Although the usefulness of national culture in branding management is widely accepted, it appears that the role of culture in brand personality formation has not been very much investigated. Therefore, our research addresses the following questions: why do brand personality perceptions differ across countries? Is it possible to explain cross-country differences in perceptions of brand personality using cultural differences?A survey of 750 consumers was carried out in three different cultural settings (France, Gabon and Senegal). The research uses Aaker’s brand personality and Schwartz’s cultural dimensions to examine the influences of culture on brand personality.The results validate the hypothesis that differences in perceptions of brand personality can be explained by cultural differences. Moreover, the study provides evidence that some cultural traits weigh more in the formation of some brand personality dimensions than others do.

The purpose of this study is to better understand the effects participatory pricing strategies have on consumer perceptions and behaviors in a sport event pricing scenario. Participatory pricing strategies are those that include the consumer in setting the final price of a good or service. These mechanisms include name-your-own-price (NYOP) and pay-what-you-want (PWYW). These pricing strategies are now being introduced into the sport industry. With the increased use of these strategies, and the lack of research in sport management pertaining to consumers’ perceptions of price, specifically consumer voice in price setting, there is a gap in the literature that needs to be filled. This study investigates the consumer’s perceptions of price fairness, perceived value, as well as consumer behavior (i.e. purchase intentions and willingness-to-pay), when encountering participatory pricing strategies. The following dissertation presents a quantitative experimental design, asking subjects to participate in a simulated ticket purchase experience. Difference between experimental groups was assessed based on price fairness, perceived value, willingness-to-pay, and purchase intentions. Results indicate there is a significant difference between participatory pricing groups and traditional fixed price groups when examining price fairness, perceived value, willingness-to-pay, and final average prices paid. Specifically, price fairness evaluations were significantly higher for the PWYW and fixed price groups, and lower for the NYOP group. In addition to the price fairness differences, the groups differed on their evaluations of perceived value (PWYW and fixed are the same, both higher than NYOP). Furthermore, the results reveal that consumers involved in the NYOP mechanism evoked higher levels of willingness-to-pay than PWYW and fixed. Furthermore, the study also found that the final average price paid following the experiment differed based on the mechanism. The PWYW and fixed price mechanisms paid similar amounts, while both of them were significantly higher than the NYOP mechanism. This suggests that while one of the biggest concerns for the PWYW treatment is a low final average price (even $0); this may not be an issue in a sport ticket pricing scenario. Study limitations and future research are included in the following dissertation.

The purpose of this thesis is to explore how the country image influences Swedish brands in their promotion strategy. The thesis will explore what underlying factors come to influence the country of origin effect in the brands promotion and which cues are used when communicating their origin with consumers. To address the purpose of the thesis, the following question will be answered: How does the country of origin influence Swedish brands in their promotion strategy?In regard to the research question and purpose, the theoretical framework includes previous studies related to different dimensions of country of origin and the effect it has on consumer affinity, different stereotypes regarding country image as well as different COO-strategies. To answer the research question, this thesis contains a qualitative research approach, with an inductive method and a multiple case study design. We interviewed 3 companies, within 3 different product categories which gave us valuable insights regarding how the Swedishness is communicated to consumers and how the Swedish country image is perceived internationally on different product categories. An analysis was made with the empirical findings together with the theoretical framework, with comparisons between the companies as well as pointing out differences and similarities between the case companies. The overall findings from this thesis is that Sweden holds a positive image internationally and that it is beneficial for companies to promote their Swedishness. The different companies also emphasize different cues in their promotion, to get a match between product category and country image, hence use the Swedishness in different ways.